ST. ELMO HOUSE #1
ROLE: ARCHITECT
Project Type: Historic Restoration + Addition Location: St. Elmo, Chattanooga, TN Phase: Completed January 2022
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
St. Elmo House #1 is a 1920’s home within a beautiful historic urban neighborhood. The home was in poor condition when the owner purchased the home. The exterior of the home had been stripped of much of its architectural detailing and in many places open to the elements. The original wooden siding was rotten in places and missing in others allowing for animals access to the interior. Sections of the roof was completely missing causing portions of the roof structure and floor structure to rot because of the amount of water entering the house.
The interior of the house was completely gutted in a previous renovation attempt. All finish material and original molding had been removed. All plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems had been removed. Most original walls and some of the original windows had been removed. The original floor plan of the home was not discernible. Two original fireplaces remained with their mantles on site, but not attached.
The goal of the renovation and addition was to update the home with space for a family of five. The 1,100 existing historic home was renovated to include the Primary Bedroom Suite, Bedroom, Hall Bathroom, Laundry Room, and Storage room. A 1,500 square foot two story addition was designed to include a Kitchen, Half Bath, Two Bedrooms, Full Bath, and a double height Living Room.
The home renovation not only had to meet zoning and code regulations, but also the neighborhoods Historic Guidelines. From the beginning the goal was that the original historic structure would stand out from the addition. This was accomplished by first setting the addition a full 8 feet from the existing structure and then connecting the two structures with an enclosed hallway. The connector was attached at the existing homes original back door allowing the interior circulation to remain as it had been. This also allowed for natural daylight in the middle of the new house as well as exterior patio space nested between the old and new portions of the house.
One challenge with the addition was to fit all the required programming plus a double height living space within a structure that remained in scale with the original home. The shape of the roof was designed to minimize the visibility of the addition from the primary street.
Another challenge was that the home had a need for two primary entries The front of the site which faces the primary street would typically only be utilized for pedestrian access, while the rear of the site facing a secondary street would be where the owners and their guests would park and enter the home. This was solved by aligning the rear door and connector hallway with the existing front door creating a circulation spine through the house. A small foyer with an original stain glass window was created at the front of the house, while a second foyer with a powder room and closet was created at the rear of the house.
Once completed, the renovated and expanded home provided it’s new owners with all the comforts of a modern home while celebrating it’s history.
